October 18; 1965..
Honorab~s:~~~.rWlnters,.
Commissioner-
Statet~p~ment:.of"Publlc Welfare
Austin; T&as2
Cplnlon No,.. C+2&
Re:.Is.theState.,Depart&entof
Public Welfare‘authorized.
,t0 se&up- a:Di%y.:Ckre
Advlsory;C?immlttee~.-conaltitlhg
of.r@presentative~~:of"'other~
State~.D&partiaents-~or:~Agerx9.es~
other”
and'.reprieaent&tiires'-ofl
profess~ona~'and'cl~lcgrm~~
fo~~.~the~putpose~:of'~comply~~.
tith.the?federdlzequ~rem6nt~
and.agreement:~wh%hI& tiii?
basfa-fdr~t~~.,~partment:'cr'
recelvine;lfederal.Ainds:for
th~~Ceire::Program'l~~t~e
.State;;o~~~~si.and~re2ated..
questMns?-.
Yi%w~-recent' 1ett~errequestBaanopMlon-.op%he;above~
captioned:matters 'and.-from':~icK
we-quote..:ln::part:'
~~~~Advls~~~Carmnittee~~consls-~ng- of:
re~esenti&lves.fi%m~~other+tate:~Agencl&3'-
and:'re@esentatlves,-of?other~.prof~sslonal
.- an&'-~f?lcgroups:-lntei?ested.'lnrDhe-
development
~~:~~~~~-Semrices-for~.Chlld~e~l~ the~state
*
!lii:pkepsrlng~.f6za-.meetlng
6f.~the:-Day.C&re
AdViaory-Committee;wer::dlscussed'wl;th
the
Comptrollerls:
Cfflce.th&method.of:payment
of~the-perdiem anal-the~travel-expenses'and
wec.were,<.advised~'that.payment.
coul&%ot'be
-de;. !l!lie:~Departme~t
ls:propos$ng:,to
spay:
the&@mt%ttee~members~-pezyd,lem
,..~ a@:ts&vel
expenses::.on
the~same.-basis..asl-per.!.diem
and
t?aveLexpenses are.~provided:for:.State-~-
.employees-,under-Part1V,'~Section
:13?.of:
H~use~~13ill.Noi.12....All
of.the:funds'tobe.
-2495:-
Hon. John Winters. Pa& 2 Cp$nion NO. C-!5~
used for this purpose are funds allocated
& the United States Oovernment for the.
puz$xes of carryingout the provisions of
Title V, Part 3, Section 523(a) (1) (B) of
the Federal:Social Security Act.
"The Comptroller'sDepartmentstated that
~paymentwould not be made on.+e basis that:
"1. The Department did &have any.
spealfgc.statutory authority to
appoint a Day Care Advisory
Committeeor to pay the expenses
of.memb&s of such Committee
whPle attendingofficial meetings;
Andy
: "2. "That employeesof other State
:-Agenciescould not serve on such
; Committeewithout possibly jeopard-
.:-,..
1,&zing their salaries with the
_,
ernploylngState Agency.
%he..hpartment takes the view that It does
.ha+e.the'statutory authority to appoint a
.Bsy Care~.Advlsory Commlttee,andto pw %he
pe=--dPem..and.travelexpenses of the members
of suchGmm&ttee while attendlng.o$Y&lal.
yeetlngs. .. .
:. .-:,.~- . .
II,
a . ..
II.
i .:. .Sin&e:theappolntment..of~fhe Advisory
Commlttee~:ls &'&ondltlon~:precedent %o the
-Departmen~*s'obf;ainine,.approvall~f~~b~eState
-P&ah fop ChI3d.Welfare.Services, -the Depart-
ment'feels:thiit:dt.%houldi.,andthat It.can,
legally.ljay these:Commttteemembers.-:per~dlem
.and travel expensesa&ally incurred in the
c&rse of the performanaeof their dutles~'as
'-C~ttee.,m&&er~'s; :.. ::;‘.::~'G_~
c+~.,~
.Ii
.-. ~.::.:I
1, '. "' >
"The .quesMon;has also,&~~~~Pa&& &&.the-
the authorlty.ofrepresen*atiives',of~ other
~State'Departments .tosex?veae..members .of this
Advisor-Gmanlttee. We.understsnd.:that.the
basis.:.~o~.~~e%tloning their..author$.ty
t6 serve
ls,~fhat.‘theg:-would
be h6ldinP;two~:pos~tlons of
..&96; ~.:.,:.
."~
<"Y,i:I '.
Hon. John Winters, Page 3, OQinion No.~C-528
honor and trust at the same time, and
therefore.,would be unable to receive'
their salary from the employing State
Agency .. ~. . .
I,. . -.,The Federal Laws providing for
the Advisory Committeesrequire that the
Advisory Committee include among Its
menibers‘representatlves~of other State
Agencies concerned with day care, or .
services reIat.ed.thereto, as well as
representativesof pfofessionalor civic
groups.~ !J!oellmlnatepeople from other
.agencleswould mean that we would be
deprived of the experienceand knowledge
of persons in close&y related fields
suoh'as Education,Health, and Extension
Service, which ls.badly needed in the
development of good Day Care Programs
In this State.
.-
%ly Qurpoae of~the Committee as S~ipiikted
I in the Law and the.agreement with the
United States Children% Bureau, ls.tto,
interest as many different segments.of the
pOQUtition as-QqSSihle with the view of
:extendlngand strengtheningthe services :
avall.able ln aommunltles. for the jpotectlon
and.care of ~chlldrenwho,ere cared for away
from their own homes. By working with
AdVlsory Connnittees~ the DeQartqe+.ls
better .ableto serve the needs of children
being cared .forIn day care centers.'
11.. . .
vWe 'shallappreciateyour opinion on the
following questions:
"1. Is the State &partment of Public
Welfare authorized to set up a Day Care
; Advisory Conimlttee consistingof repre-
sentatlves of other State Departments'or
Agencies and representativesof other -
~qrofessio@. and clvlc'grouljsfor the pur-;
pose of complying-withthe Federal re-
qulrement'and‘agreementwhichIs .the
basis for the~Department!sreceiving
Federal.funda for the Day Care Program
in the'State of Texas?
-2497-
lion,John'Wlnters,Page 4 Oplnlon‘No.~
C.328~
"2. If you answer Question No. one (1)
in the affirmative,then lz the State,
Departmentof public Welfare authordzed
""‘to pay for the per diem and:the.travel
expenses of those members of the ..~
Commfttee who are not employees of
other State Departmentsor Agencies
out of Federal funds made'avallableto
the Department fQr the extension of
the Day Care Program?
“3. If you answer QuestionNo. one (.l)'
in the affirmative,may employees c)S
other State Departmentsserve on this
Day Care Advisory Committee,without
Jeoparqiizln&o$ losing their salaries
from tiheother,State'Agency?~ ,:'.,
"4.. Is.the State Departmentof Public
Welfare empowered to.set up~other types
of'Advisor&~Boardsor.Commltteesof-
Public Welfare (unrelated,toDay .Care
Advisory Committees)which are'essential
to,the accomplishmentof the other..
purposes.ofthe public Welfare Programs
1n.Texs.s
,. in accordanckwlth the Depart-
ment's.agreementswith the.Federa$:.
Government? ..
I'$* Zf khe'kpai-